Pure Green’s Matt Walstatter will be a panelist for a town hall meeting sponsored by Oregon Public Broadcasting this Thursday December 11 at 8 pm. The event will address three looming questions that will face Oregonians as we become the third state in the union to implement a recreational cannabis system:

1. Should Oregon continue to have a medical marijuana program or fold it into the rec program?

2. Should cities and counties be permitted to tax sales of marijuana? (Current law allows only the state of Oregon to levy such taxes.)

3. How will cannabis culture, and Oregon’s culture in general, change with legalization?

At Pure Green, we believe it is imperative to protect the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Patients need safe, affordable access to medical cannabis. As we have learned from Washington, a recreational marijuana program doesn’t necessarily ensure that access. We have created, a strong, well-functioning medical system that Measure 91 explicitly protected. Let’s make sure it remains intact as we implement recreational cannabis.

We also believe that the state should have the sole authority to tax cannabis sales. The voters have spoken on this matter as well. Prohibitively high taxes could amount to an effective ban of cannabis businesses, something Measure 91 specifically disallows. A hodge podge of local taxes makes an uneven playing field for businesses. And if local taxes drive up the price of cannabis, this will steer people to the black market, undermining one of the main goals of legalization (eliminating the black market).

As for the future of our culture, we look forward to the increased acceptance of cannabis. We hope to see it become a valuable part of our state’s economic and cultural life.

The event, produced by OPB’s Think Out Loud, will be held at Rontoms, located at 600 E Burnside in Portland. Admission is free, so come weigh in on these important topics. If you can’t make it down, you can listen live on OPB. The event will also be rebroadcast on Friday December 12 at noon.